With the personnel turnover Illinois football underwent this offseason (56 newcomers), there are ongoing position battles up and down the roster. Bret Bielema outlines the QB2 battleJul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Illinois Football head coach Bret Bielema speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. “To be quite honest, Dane [Eisenmenger] has been very impressive. “And, obviously, we signed Michael and we kind of got him early in that same recruiting class. I’ve never really signed two quarterbacks.